Sanwo-Olu, Fagbemi, others rally Africa against ritual killings, human trafficking

LAGOS — African leaders, jurists, and anti-trafficking advocates have launched what they described as a “moral rebellion” to rescue the continent from the scourge of ritual killings and human trafficking.

Leading the charge were Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State, Attorney-General of the Federation, Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), Lagos Chief Judge, Justice Kazeem Alogba, Lagos Attorney-General, Mr. Lawal Pedro (SAN), NAPTIP Director-General, Mrs. Binta Bello, and Prof. Cameron Collum of Pepperdine University, USA.

The leaders spoke at the First Annual Africa Colloquium Against Human Trafficking, held in Lagos under the theme “A United Front Against Ritual Abuse and Sacrifice.” The two-day event brought together representatives from 15 African countries to chart a coordinated response to the growing link between ritual abuse and human trafficking.

Governor Sanwo-Olu, represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Mrs. Abimbola Salu-Hundeyin, described human trafficking and ritual killings as “heinous crimes that strip victims of their dignity and humanity.” He called for a united continental response, noting that the fight must transcend borders and institutions.

“Human trafficking is not an abstract problem,” he said. “It affects millions across Africa — women, children, and even men — through forced labour, sexual exploitation, and ritual abuse. Behind every statistic is a face, a story, and a name.”

He noted that Lagos had intensified the fight through its Task Force Against Human Trafficking, in partnership with NAPTIP and international agencies, focusing on prosecution, public enlightenment, and survivor rehabilitation. Sanwo-Olu condemned the superstitions that fuel ritual killings, describing them as “barbaric relics that have no place in a progressive Africa.”

“Our progress must rest on knowledge, compassion, and lawful advancement — not blood,” he declared.

Speaking on behalf of the Attorney-General of the Federation, Mrs. Ezinne Nwaokoro, Team Lead for Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants (TIPSOM), said the Federal Government is committed to dismantling trafficking networks through legal and diplomatic collaboration.

“Ritual-linked trafficking represents an even darker dimension of the crime,” she said. “Traffickers exploit not only poverty but belief systems, using oaths and rituals to enslave victims psychologically.

Lagos Chief Judge, Justice Kazeem Alogba, traced the roots of trafficking and ritual killings to slavery, describing both as “modern offshoots of an ancient trade in human lives.”

Human trafficking is a business; ritual abuse is its darkest by-product,” he said. “Centuries after the abolition of slavery, we still confront its shadows — human beings bought, sold, and sacrificed for gain.”

He urged communities to report suspicious activities and support victims, pledging that the Lagos judiciary would impose strict punishment on offenders.

Lagos Attorney-General, Mr. Lawal Pedro (SAN), described trafficking and ritual killings as “commercialised evil” driven by poverty, greed, and silence.

“These are not myths; they are real,” he said, citing recent ritual-related murders in Port Harcourt and Ilorin. “Silence has never protected the vulnerable — it only shields the oppressor.”

Pedro disclosed that between 2022 and 2024, Lagos rescued 4,700 victims and reached five million residents through awareness campaigns. He added that the Lagos Organ Harvesting Prohibition Law 2024 imposes stiff penalties on both medical and non-medical offenders involved in organ trafficking.

He declared, “No nation can win this battle alone. Let history say that from Lagos, Africa took a stand and never turned back.”

NAPTIP Director-General, Mrs. Binta Bello, represented by the Director of Intelligence, Mr. Josiah Emewerem, described ritual-linked trafficking as one of Africa’s most complex human rights challenges.

“In Nigeria and across West Africa, victims are trapped in cycles of fear and superstition disguised as culture,” she said. “Ritual abuse is not theoretical — it is a lived reality for countless victims.”

She cited NAPTIP data showing over 150 ritual killings in Nigeria within six months, urging stronger community vigilance and judicial reform.

These crimes are symptoms of deeper social ills — poverty, inequality, and the false belief in blood money,” she added.

Pepperdine University’s Director of the Sudreau Global Justice Institute, Prof. Cameron Collum, commended Lagos for hosting the first continental platform against ritual abuse and trafficking, describing it as “a new chapter in Africa’s moral awakening.”

He revealed that 200 delegates were divided into working groups on policy, justice reform, survivor response, and community engagement, and announced that the Africa Colloquium would become an annual event to track progress and strengthen partnerships.

“With courage and collaboration,” Collum concluded, “we can end the evil of ritual sacrifice once and for all.”

culled from vanguard